Crazy Summer, Crazier Fall....

My friend in Louisiana reminded me the other day that some people read this blog, so I do apologize for not writing on here lately. It has been a very crazy but very amazing summer, which mostly consisted of watching God do some amazing things and I was blessed to have a front row seat. When God first gave me this vision last fall to preach to anyone, any time, and most importantly anywhere, my number one desire was that I would just be able to see God do some amazing things in the lives of people around me. Looking back on this summer I see that He has shown me just that. I assume that if I could even explain all that God has done this summer it would take me until next summer to write it all out, and I’m sure nobody would read it all. For now I will simply say that it is an amazing thing to watch a student decide for the first time that Jesus is more than just a sermon, but that Christ is real and alive. I was blessed enough to watch students step out in faith to accepting the truth of the substitution that Christ gave us on the cross, and seeing students awake to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God. It reminded me that it is the simple things in our walk, with God, the most foundational beliefs we hold so close, that seem to be the most glorious. Praise God for a glorious summer that was full of rejoicing and learning!
For the past few weeks I have been looking back on my first summer in itinerant ministry and savoring the experience to learn everything that God brought my way. I have spent the last few weeks in deep reflection of how to carry this forward into the fall and winter. One thing that has always been consistent in God’s calling on my life is to always be available. I remember playing little league baseball as a kid and seeing all the kids running up to the coaches on the first day of practice with their parents behind them screaming, “I’ll only play short stop, and if you really want to win you will consider me your best pitcher too!” A few things that God has shown me over the last few years is that first, ministry must be embraced with humility. As ministers we must hold onto humility like it is our only child, and embrace it with all that we face in these times. We must also be on guard against shoving our plans in God’s face, proclaiming that our vision and our clocks are bigger and better than His. Not to say that vision is bad, not at all. Vision is a must in every walk of life. However, if we are to follow the vision of God we must be open to following Him wherever He leads us and at any time. Jonah was the perfect example of someone who heard the voice of God and decided that his own vision was bigger and better than God’s vision. It is with this thought that God has opened my mind and heart to continue to preach His word to anyone, any place, and at any time that He says so. This probably goes against some popular preaching that says that our visions have to be specific and have to work out in the end without any failures or changes, but that is not the way Paul lived his life. Paul had Rome always in his mind, however he also had a heart to be in many other places as well, before going to Rome.
With all that said I am looking forward to an amazing fall and winter with many different ways of preaching God’s word. I am currently working on a speaking schedule that will keep me close to the south for the first part of the fall, but hopefully will take me to other areas later on with the possibility of going overseas to preach too. I plan on meeting with some folks this week about spending some time in the next few years speaking some overseas so please pray for God’s providence and my discernment in these areas of this ministry. Lastly I plan to begin working on a book called, “more than enough”. The book will focus on one specific passage in John about Christ being the center of all of our needs, and how that truth alone sustains us for now and throughout all eternity. I am really excited about this opportunity which just fell in my lap one day when a publisher approached me about the idea of writing. Other than that I plan to spend much time in personal study walking through the Old Testament and many of C. S. Lewis’ writings which I am excited beyond words to dive into. Again, please pray for God’s leading and my following to preach His truth to whoever, whenever, and most importantly wherever He sends me. I plan on writing on this blog a lot this fall so check in daily for updates and other random thoughts on the greatest person mankind has ever known, the son of God, Jesus Christ.


For His Namesake,
John Pond

Is God happy? Reflections from "God Is The Gospel" by John Piper

In 1 Timothy 1:11 Paul focuses on the gospel as "the glory of the blessed God." The word translated "blessed" in this phrase is the same greek word used in the beatitudes of Jesus in the book of Matthew 5:3-11. It's a crazy fact that only in 1 Timothy 1:11 does the word refer to God, out of the entire Bible. Paul is making a statement about God, as he usually does in his letters. Here in 1 Timothy Paul is making the statement that God is happy, makarios.

"We may learn the phrase "the glory of the happy God" that a great part of God's glory is His happiness. It was inconceivable to the apostle Paul that God could be denied infinte joy and still be all-glorious. To be infinitely glorious was to be infinitely happy. He used the phrase, "the glory of the happy God," because it is a glorious thing for God to be as happy as He is. God's glory consist much in the fact that He is happy beyond all our imagination."

Imagine that. God is happy! Most people in this world awake to the idea every day that God is out to get them. That if they do not live a life full of good works and good deeds then God is out to get them and punish them forever. God does have a side of righteous wrath but it is not eternal for those who trust in Christ as the savior of their lives. So at the end of the day God does not have a kingdom full of worry, sadness, or regret. God knows the end and the end is completely filled with the whole earth proclaiming God is the glorious God, who else is like Him?

J.P.

"Be still and know that I am God. I WILL be exalted among the nations, I WILL be exatled in the earth!" - Ps.46:10

Hittin the road...

Well, we're off and running! I am just about to leave the coffee shop and hit the road to Panama City, the capital of Summer camp in student ministry. Please pray for safe travel and for a great time before the Lord with all the churches that will be arriving on Sunday night. I will be in Florida for a week and then leave for Lake Charles , LA for another camp. Thank you to all who have been praying for me over the last few weeks! Your prayers and words have been so comforting and encouraging. May the light of Christ be seen by all who have never looked upon the face of our Lord and have never seen Him as He should be seen!

For His Namesake,
John Pond
"In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Christ sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ". 2 Corinth. 4:4-6

Sermon on Podcast

"Unified living", a sermon that was preached at Shades Mountain Baptist Church back in April is now available to hear on itunes. You can get to the sermon by clicking on this link and subscribing to crave ministries podcast. http://www.shades.org/206064.ihtml

JP

Here comes summer '07...

Well summer is pretty much here for me, as I start to finalize a summer camp schedule and begin to spend the whole month of May in spiritual perpetration and study. I have decided not to post the final summer schedule just yet because there are a few more possibilities still flying around. More than likely I will be speaking at 3 camps this summer that will be in Panama City Beach, Florida, Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Dallas, Texas. So 3 camps total which is 3 more than I thought I would have. I thought my first summer would be pretty quiet and looking to summer of 2008 for anything to happen, but yet again God amazes the human mind at any chance He can get, especially when it's all about His glory. And it is!

How can you be praying? Please, Please, Please; be praying for my time in preparation. I am a big believer in preparing like it's your first time to preach and preaching like it's your last time to preach. I put a lot of time into studying and desire God to not only speak to His people but also to me in the process. I would also ask that you pray for me in taking time to rest. I will confess that I am an all or nothing person, which I pay for in the end. Pray that I find times to rest when I can especially in between camps. I am still working at Starbucks in the mornings, which helps me cover expenses that I cannot otherwise. So to say that I need physical strength from the Lord is a huge prayer request for me, especially when waking up at 4am almost every day! I trust that you will spend less time praying for me and more time praying for God's spoken word and the lives He will impact with it. Once I post the final camp schedule I will be asking for specific prayer request for specific churches and cities. Thank you for your time, and thank you for you partnering with this ministry!

For His Namesake,
JP
www.johnpond.org

"Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:16-17

Quick Update....

I say quick because the last 3 weeks have been insane and today is no exception. Even though it is Friday afternoon and I feel the living room couch and tv calling my name. But there is no time which is a good thing! I have been speaking a lot in the Birmingham area the past few weeks. Last Wednesday night April 4th, I had the chance to speak at FCA Wednesday morning at Vestavia Hills High School, at Shades Mountain Baptist that same night and then at another FCA meeting after that. So I have been fairly busy to say the least but I am glad that God has given me the opportunity to be so busy. I am in the process of putting a schedule together for the summer which will be on my website in the next few weeks. Please pray that God would continue to give me strength as the days get harder and harder and that I would remain humble in this time. Thank you for your prayers and your support!

For His Namesake,
John Pond